Making Sports Dreams Come True for Children in Need

(DGIwire) – Every young person deserves to experience the fun of playing sports. But for many, the cost of participating puts these enjoyable activities out of reach. According to the Huffington Post, U.S. parents pay $671 on average per year to cover the costs of uniforms and other expenses. Meanwhile, Time magazine notes that sky-high costs are preventing some children from taking part, with the trend most evident among kids from lower-income families.

On Long Island, NY, a father and his three sons are making a difference. 2nd Chance Sports is a non-profit organization that donates gently used and new sporting equipment to children in need throughout the New York City area. It was founded by brothers Anthony, Dylan and Matthew Sica along with their father, Anthony Sica, who serves as President of the organization and is employed full time as a Managing Director and partner of Joseph Gunnar & Co., a full-service broker-dealer located in New York City.

“We are sports-oriented family, and had a garage very similar to those of many families: it was cluttered with baseball, basketball, roller hockey and football equipment that the brothers had outgrown,” President Anthony Sica says. “Most of the items were in great condition and could still be used by others. While cleaning out the garage, we devised the idea of giving away all the used sporting equipment to children in need.”

This community project resulted in the formation of 2nd Chance Sports. President Anthony Sica’s children saw this as a great way to express awareness and compassion for disadvantaged kids who could not afford to purchase sports equipment on their own. The organization allows concerned individuals to help improve the lives of children in need—one ball and one child at a time.

The mission of 2nd Chance Sports is to benefit disadvantaged children and create a healthier and safer environment through the power of sports and play. Over the past five years, the organization has collected and distributed more than 22,500 pieces of equipment to areas in Nassau County, Suffolk County and New York City.

Those who are interested in the mission of 2nd Chance Sports, and who are eager to join the effort to provide sports equipment to children in need, are invited to learn more about the organization and find a list of equipment drop-off locations by visiting www.2ndchancesports.org.